This tutorial focuses on understanding the algorithms and protocols necessary to move data through a network. Its focus is on understanding the conceptual problems and solutions, rather than every deployed feature.

It also describes a range of potential solutions, to foster critical thinking about protocols, rather than just memorizing the exact details of a particular standard. After a problem is studied generically, the specifics of protocols such as IPv4, IPv6, ATM, MPLS, OSPF, BGP, IS-IS, bridges, and the spanning tree algorithm are covered. Understanding the range of solutions possible and the tradeoffs of comparative approaches is particularly useful for evaluating or designing future standards.

The concepts of IP addresses, masks, MAC addresses, routing algorithms, domains, switches, bridges, are pervasive when dealing with networks. We all use these terms, and configure these things, but what is really going on? What are the implications of choosing a switch vs a router? What kinds of things can go wrong in a protocol that is misdesigned, misimplemented, or mismanaged? This tutorial describes the major protocols involved in the network infrastructure. It describes conceptually what goes on in the packet switches (both layer 2/bridges and layer 3/routers), as well as the implications on endnodes. It contrasts connection-oriented approaches such as ATM and MPLS with connectionless approaches such as IPv4 and IPv6. It covers the endnode-visible pieces of layer 3, such as neighbor-discovery and address autoconfiguration. It covers intradomain routing algorithms (distance vector such as RIP and link state such as OSPF or IS-IS) and interdomain (BGP). It describes the spanning tree algorithm used by bridges/switches.

Topics include:

• Layer 2 (MAC) addresses
• Why 6 bytes?
• Relation to layer 3 addresses (IP)
• Bridges
• Basic idea
• Why it's more powerful than a repeater
• Station address learning and forwarding
• Spanning tree
• What are switches? "switched Ethernet"
• Connection-oriented networks: ATM, MPLS
• Connectionless protocols: IPv4, IPv6, and comparison with others
• Neighbor discovery (ARP, DHCP)
• Routing (distance vector vs link state, interdomain vs intradomain)
• IP Multicast
• NAT

Who should attend: Anyone who might need to design a protocol, implement a protocol, write network-based applications, or plan or manage a network. Anyone who is just curious about what is really going on under the covers in a network, and how things got the way they are. Anyone with the courage to see things from different angles, and not just parrot orthodoxy. Paradoxically, this tutorial is good as an introduction to people who are incredibly confused by all the terms and don't know where to start, as well as people who have been using this stuff for years, assumed they understood it, and want to see how all the pieces fit.